5 

091 

373 


THE 

HILDEBRANDSLIED 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PRESS 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


THE  CAMBRIDGE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS 

LONDON  AND  EDINBCBOH 

THE  MARTJZEN-KABUSHIKI-KAISHA 

TOKYO,  OSAKA,  KYOTO 

KARL  W.  HIERSEMANN 

LEIPZIG 

THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  COMPANY 

KEW  YOEB 


THE 
HILDEBRANDSLIED 


Translated  from  the  OLD  HIGH  GERMAN 
into  ENGLISH  ALLITERATIVE   VERSE 


By 

FRANCIS  A.  WOOD 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PRESS 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


COPYRIGHT  1914  BY 
THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 


All  Rights  Reserved 


Published  March  1914 


Composed  and  Printed  By 

The  University  of  Chicago  Pre 

Chicago,  Illinois,  U.S.A. 


To 

The  star  of  my  life  and  the  strength  of  its  striving, 
The  ward  of  the  weal  that  up  wells  hi  my  breast, 
The  chalice  of  love  with  its  lavish  outpouring, 
The  home  of  my  heart  and  its  haven  of  rest. 

Mines  llbes  sterna,        du  ddr  mir  sterkl  farlihis; 
warta  dera  wunna,        diu  mir  wonet  innan  brusti; 
dera  minna  kelih,        du  mil  milti  mih  labos: 
so  hwdr  dina  huldl  herisot,        ist  mln  herza  heime. 


2209919 


THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED 

The  Hildebrandslied,  or  the  Lay  of  Hildebrand,  has 
been  discussed,  analyzed,  and  annotated  by  so  many 
that  even  the  mention  of  their  names  would  require 
several  pages.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  in  all  these  dis- 
cussions the  poem  has  been  treated  from  every  view- 
point. But  my  object  here  is  simply  to  give  through 
an  English  translation  some  idea  of  the  meter  and 
contents  of  this  heroic  song. 

The  poem  tells  us  of  a  combat  between  father  and 
son.  This  is  a  widespread  motif  found  in  many  other 
languages.  In  the  older  form  the  outcome  is  tragic, 
the  father  killing  the  son.  Some  would  therefore  see 
in  this  an  Indo-European  myth  of  winter  and  summer 
or  night  and  day.  Others  claim  that  from  an  oriental 
source  the  legend  traveled  from  people  to  people.  A 
third  group,  with  more  reason,  believe  that  a  saga 
based  on  an  occurrence  that  is  common  to  all  lands 
might  well  have  had  an  independent  origin  in  these 
various  lands.  For  in  the  days  when  war  was  a  pastime 
as  well  as  an  everyday  business,  and  when  exile  was 
so  common  as  to  give  us  such  words  as  German  Elend 
(OHG.  elilenti  'anderes  Land,  Verbannung')  and 
English  wretch  (OE.  wrecca  'exile;  wretch'),  combats 
between  father  and  son  might  easily  arise  under  any 
sky  or  at  any  time,  and  might  be  sung  by  bards  who 
knew  nothing  of  each  other's  lays. 

The  combatants  in  our  poem  are  connected  with 
historical  characters.  But  history  and  tradition  are 


2  THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED 

much  at  variance.  According  to  the  former,  Theodoric 
the  Great  (Dietrich),  King  of  the  East  Goths,  had  in 
childhood  been  a  hostage  at  Constantinople.  In  the 
year  488  A.D.  he  started  on  an  invasion  of  Italy,  and 
the  next  year  defeated  Odoacer  (Ottokar)  at  Verona. 

But  the  tradition  on  which  the  Hildebrandslied  is 
based  tells  us  that  Dietrich  was  driven  by  Ottokar 
from  his  native  land.  With  him,  to  the  King  of  the 
Huns,  goes  the  young  Hildebrand,  leaving  his  wife  and 
little  son  at  home.  Many  years  later  Dietrich  returns 
with  a  conquering  host,  in  which  is  Hildebrand,  now 
an  old  man.  In  the  opposing  host  is  Hadubrand,  a 
doughty  warrior.  Without  knowing  each  other  these 
two,  as  champions  of  their  respective  armies,  meet  for 
a  trial  of  arms.  But  first  the  elder  man  asks  the 
younger  the  name  of  his  father,  and  learns  that  his 
opponent  is  his  own  son.  The  father  then  reveals  his 
identity.  But  the  son,  fearing  treachery  and  because 
he  had  heard  that  his  father  was  dead,  refuses  to  believe 
that  his  antagonist  is  Hildebrand.  The  father  urges 
and  implores,  but  the  son  takes  this  for  the  signs  of 
cowardice.  No  warrior  of  the  olden  time  could  then 
refuse  combat.  The  fight  begins,  and  is  at  its  fiercest 
when  the  poem  breaks  off.  But  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  it  results  in  the  death  of  the  son. 

The  form  in  which  the  poem  comes  down  to  us  dates 
from  about  800  A.D.  But  we  know  that  it  was  copied 
from  an  earlier  MS  and  that  this  earlier  MS  was  written 
down  from  memory  or  dictation.  How  old  the  original 
was  we  cannot  tell,  but  probably  before  750. 

The  meter  is  that  of  the  Germanic  alliterative  poetry. 
In  this  each  line  is  divided  into  two  half-lines,  each 


THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED  3 

half-line  containing  two  stressed  syllables  with  an 
occasional  secondary  stress  in  some  types.  Only 
stressed  syllables  are  counted  as  alliterating.  So  that 
in  any  one  line  not  more  than  four  alliterating  words 
would  occur,  usually  not  more  than  three,  and  often 
only  two.  Any  vowel  may  alliterate  with  any  other 
vowel.  As  a  rule  it  is  the  first  consonant  that  alliter- 
ates, not  the  initial  combination  of  consonants.  But 
sk-  (sc-~)  rimes  only  with  sk-,  sp-  with  sp-,  and  st- 
with  st-,  never  with  each  other  or  with  any  other 
combination. 

Any  half-line  has  a  choice  of  five  different  types. 
In  the  scheme  given  below  the  stressed  syllable  (arsis) 
is  indicated  by  an  acute  accent,  the  secondary  stress 
by  the  grave,  and  the  unstressed  syllable  or  syllables 
(thesis)  by  X.  The  types  are  as  follows: 

A  :  -  X  |  -  X  or  ^  -»•  |  *  X,  as  in  51 

B  :  X  -  |  X  ^  ,  as  in  61 

C  :  X  •*•  I  *  X  ,  as  in  41" 

D  :  .i  |  *  *  X  or  •*•  |  •*•  X  -  ,  as  in  44' 

E  :  -  -  |  -  ,  as  in  i42 

These  types  may  be  varied,  (i)  by  resolving  the 
stress,  that  is,  allowing  two  short  syllables  hi  place  of  a 
long  one;  (2)  by  increasing  the  number  of  syllables 
in  a  beginning  or  middle  thesis  up  to  a  possible  ten; 
(3)  by  anacrusis  in  A,  D,  and  E;  (4)  by  allowing  two 
syllables  in  the  final  thesis  of  A  and  C;  (5)  by  admit- 
ting a  thesis  after  the  first  arsis  in  D  and  E.  Besides 
these  are  found  swell-verses  with  three  arses  in  each 
half -line,  as  in  lines  17,  18,  39,  40.  They  regularly 
occur  in  groups  and  indicate  excitement. 


4  THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED 

The  following  translation1  aims  to  give  the  spirit  as 
well  as  the  meter  of  the  Hildebrandslied.  Though  not 
a  literal  translation,  it  nevertheless  closely  follows  the 
thought  of  the  OHG.  poem.  I  have  perhaps  failed 
to  preserve  the  ruggedness  of  the  original  because  I 
feared  to  allow  myself  its  metrical  license.  The 
modern  ear,  with  its  different  sense  of  rhythm,  might 
have  been  offended  by  a  too  close  imitation. 

Inasmuch  as  the  poem  at  the  time  it  was  written 
down  was  archaic  in  form,  I  have  made  use  of  some 
archaic  words  and  phrases  in  the  translation.  In  the 
arrangement  of  the  lines  I  have  followed  Elis  Wadstein, 
Beitrage  zur  Erkldrung  des  Hildebrandsliedes,  Goteborg, 
1903.  It  seems  to  me  this  gives  by  far  the  best  sense. 
Lines  or  half-lines  supplied  are  put  in  brackets.  Thus 
lines  672~74  are  added  to  complete  the  poem — it  is 
hoped  in  the  spirit  of  the  original. 

I  heard  this  tale        [of  hap  and  harm], 
That  two  warriors  wielded        their  weapons  amain, 
Hildebrand  and  Hadubrand,        between  two  hosts. 
The  father  and  son        fastened  their  armor, 
5    Buckled  their  harness,        belted  their  swords  on 
Over  coat  of  mail        as  to  combat  they  rode. 
Hildebrand  spake  then,        the  hoary-hair'd  warrior, 
More  wise  in  life's  wisdom:        he  warily  asked, 
And  few  were  his  words,        who  his  father  was 

1  This  was  made  in  the  year  1908  substantially  as  it  appears 
here,  and  was  read  at  a  public  lecture  at  the  University  of  Chicago 
the  summer  of  the  same  year.  Later  appeared  Professor  Gum- 
mere's  translation  of  HI.  in  his  book:  The  Oldest  English  Epic, 
Translated  in  the  Original  Metres,  New  York  (Macmillan),  1909, 
pp.  170-77.  Because  of  this  I  delayed  to  publish  my  translation, 
but  see  no  cause  for  putting  it  off  longer.  My  translation  cer- 
tainly does  not  infringe  upon  his  copyright. 


THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED  5 

10    In  the  folk  of  the  foemen.        "[Thy  friends  would  I 

know, 

And  kindly  tell  me]        what  kin  thou  dost  claim. 
If  thou  namest  but  one,       I  shall  know  then  the  others : 
The  kin  of  this  kingdom        are  couth  to  me  all." 
Hadubrand  answer'd,        Hildebrand's  son: 

15  "This  lore  I  learned        from  long  ago, 

From  the  wise  and  old        who  were  of  yore, 

That  Hildebrand  hight  my  father:        my  name  is 

Hadubrand. 
Off  to  the  east  he  wander'd,        the  anger  of  Ottokar 

fleeing, 

Marching  away  with  Dietrich,        and  many  a  man 
went  with  him. 

20    He  left  in  the  land        a  little  one  lorn, 

A  babe  at  the  breast        in  the  bower  of  the  bride, 
Bereft  of  his  rights:        thus  he  rode  to  the  east. 
But  later  Dietrich        lost  my  father 
And  lived  henceforth        a  lonely  man. 

25    For  the  foe  of  Ottokar,        so  fierce  and  keen, 
Was  the  dearest  of  thanes        to  Dietrich  his  lord. 
He  was  fain  to  fight        where  the  fray  was  thick: 
Known  was  his  bravery        among  bold  warriors. 
I  can  not  believe        that  he  lives  longer." 

30  "I  swear  by  the  God        who  sways  the  heavens 
That  the  bonds  of  blood        forbid  our  strife." 
Then  he  unclaspt  from  his  arm        the  clinging  gold, 
Which  was  wrought  of  com        that  the  king  had  given, 
The  lord  of  the  Huns:        "With  love  I  give  it." 

35    But  Hadubrand  answer'd,        Hildebrand's  son: 
"With  the  tip  of  the  spear        one  takes  the  gift 
From  the  sharpened  edge        of  the  foeman's  shaft. 
Thou  thinkest,  old  Hun,        thy  thoughts  are  deep, 
Thou  speakest  alluring  words,        with  the  spear  it 
would  like  thee  to  wound  me. 


6  THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED 

40    With  untruth  art  thou  come  to  old  age,        for  trickery 

clings  to  thee  ever. 
It  was  said  to  me        by  seafarers 
Coming  west  over  the  wave        that  war  slew  him. 
Dead  is  Hildebrand,        Heribrand's  son." 
"Great  Weirdwielder,        woe  worth  the  day! 
45    For  sixty  winters        and  summers  I  wander'd, 
Battling  with  foemen        where  blows  keen  fell. 
From  the  scarped  wall        unscathed  I  came. 
Now  the  son  of  my  loins        with  the  sword  will  hew 

me; 

He  will  deal  me  death        or  I  dash  him  to  earth. 
50    But  now  canst  thou  strike,        if  strong  be  thine  arm, 
Canst  win  the  harness        from  so  hoary  a  man, 
And  strip  the  spoils        from  the  stricken  foe." 
Hadubrand  answer'd,        Hildebrand's  son: 
"  Full  well  I  hold,        from  thy  harness  rich, 
55    That  thou  comest  hither        from  a  kindly  lord, 

In  whose  kingdom   thou  wast   not        a  wandering 

wretch." 

"The  heart  of  a  coward        would  the  Hun  now  have 
Who  would  shrink  from  a  foe        so  fain  to  fight, 
To  struggle  together.        Let  each  now  strive 
60    To  see  whether  today        he  must  bite  the  dust 

Or  may  bear  from  the  field        the  bymies  of  both." 
Then  first  they  hurled        the  hurtling  spears 
In  sharpest  showers        that  shook  the  shields. 
Then  they  clasht  with  their  brands,        the  battle- 
boards  bursting, 
65    And  hewed  with  might        the  white  linden 

Till    they    shivered    the    shields        with    shattering 

strokes, 

As  they  wielded  their  weapons        [in  wild  warfare. 
They  thrust  and  lasht        and  thundered  blows 
Till  the  blood  of  the  twain        forth  burst  in  streams 


THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED  7 

70    And  mingled  hot        on  the  hardened  heath. 

Then  with  might  the  father        all  fiercely  smote: 
Through  helm  he  clove        down  clean  to  the  teeth. 
Thus  he  dasht  to  death        his  dearest  and  nearest, 
The  blood  of  his  blood,        the  bone  of  his  bone.] 

A  much  later  version  of  the  same  material  is  found 
in  Dutch  and  German.  Though  based  on  the  same 
tradition,  it  has  no  connection  with  the  earlier  story. 
In  the  later  version  the  two  warriors  have  degenerated 
into  braggart  knights  whose  encounter  on  the  highway 
is  like  the  quarreling  of  street  brawlers. 

The  following  translation  is  made  from  the  late 
Middle  High  German  version  printed  in  Mullenhoff 
und  Scherer's  Denkmaler,  II,  26  ff .  The  poem  consists 
of  riming  couplets  combined  into  stanzas  of  four 
lines.  Each  line  is  divided  into  two  half-lines  contain- 
ing three  (or  occasionally  four)  accented  syllables. 
The  rhythm  is  often  limping  and  the  rimes  not  always 
exact.  E.g.,  the  first  two  lines  of  the  fourth  stanza 
are: 

'Das  ensoltu  nicht  tun,'        sprach  sick  von  Bern  her  Dietrich, 
'Wan  der  jung  her  Alebrant        ist  mir  von  herzen  lieb.' 

"I  will  go  from  the  land  ariding,"        said  Master  Hilde- 

brand, 
"On  the  way  that  leads  straight  onward        to  Bern,  the 

pleasant  land. 

The  place  I  know  no  longer,        and  many  a  day  has  past, 
The  years  are  two  and  thirty        since  I  saw  Lady  Utd 
last." 

"Wilt  thou  go  from  the  land  ariding,"        spake  up  Duke 
Abelung, 


8  THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED 

"Who  will  meet  thee  on  the  greensward?        A  valiant 

thane  and  young. 
Who  will  meet  thee  on  the  marches?        Thy  son  Sir 

Alebrand. 
Though  thou  ride  with  eleven  others,        he  will  tilt  with 

thee,  spear  in  hand." 

"If  at  me  the  wanton  upstart        should  ever  dare  to  ride, 
I'll   shatter   his   shield   of   linden,        and   humble   his 

haughty  pride. 
I'll  hew  in  twain  his  byrnie        with  broadsword  and  with 

spear, 
So  that  he  will  run  to  his  mother,        and  rue  it  for  a 

year." 

"Now  that  shalt  thou  do  never,"        said  Dietrich,  Lord 

of  Bern. 
"To  Alebrand,  the  younker,        my  heart  in  love  doth 

turn. 
Thou  shalt  bespeak  him  softly,        thy  lord's  behest  now 

hear, 

That  he  may  grant  thee  passage        if  he  hold  my  favor 
dear." 

As  he  rode  to  the  Garden  of  Roses,        where  Dietrich's 

sway  doth  hold, 
There  he  found  great  strife  and  stour        from  a  warrior 

strong  and  bold: 
A  warrior  young  and  sturdy        rode  up  with  spear  in 

hand: 
"Now  tell  me,  thou  old  graybeard,        what  seekest  thou 

in  this  land  ? 

Thy  harness  is  bright  and  shining,        as  wert  thou  of 
royal  kind. 


THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED  9 

Thou  thinkest  me,  a  younker,        with  glaring  eyes  to 

blind. 
At  home  shouldst  thou  abide  now        and  of  thyself 

shouldst  take 
Good  care  by  the  glowing  ingle."        The  gray-beard 

laugh 'd  and  spake: 

"Should  I  abide  at  home  now        and  by  the  fireside  cling ? 

My  heart  for  all  these  many  years  was  set  on  wander- 
ing, 

On  wandering  and  warfare        until  my  dying  day. 

In  doing  this,  my  stripling,  my  beard  is  growing 
gray." 

"I  will  pluck  thy  beard  so  hoary,        that  know  to  thy 

disgrace, 
Until  the  blood  rose-color'd        shall  trickle  down  thy 

face. 

Thy  buckler  and  thy  harness        must  thou  give  up  to  me. 
Besides  thou  art  my  captive        if  thou  alive  wouldst 

be." 

"My  buckler  and  my  harness  have  often  saved  my  life. 
I  trust  the  Lord  of  heaven  I  shall  win  to-day  in  strife." 
Thereupon  they  ceast  from  speaking,  each  drew  his 

own  keen  brand; 
And  what  both  warriors  long'd  for        was  ready  at  their 

hand. 

I  know  not  how  the  stripling  the  blows  on  the  gray- 
beard  laid 

So  that  the  hoary  Hildebrand  for  once  was  sore 
afraid. 

He  nimbly  sprang  far  backward,  full  seven  yards,  I 
trow. 


io  THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED 

"How  now,  my  little  stripling,        that  was  a  woman's 
blow." 

"If  I  learn 'd  that  from  women,        'twere  shame  upon  my 

hand; 
For  I  have  many  knights  and  squires        within  my 

father's  land, 
And  I   have  many  knights   and   counts        all   at   my 

father's  court, 
And  what  I  have  not  learn'd  as  yet        shall  be  my  future 

sport." 

He  grab'd  him  by  the  middle,        where  he  was  lank  and 

lean, 
And  swinging  hurl'd  him  backward        far  out  upon  the 

green. 

"Now  tell  me,  little  stripling,        for  now  will  I  thee  shrive, 
If  so  thou  beest  a  Wolfing,        thou  mayest  remain  alive. 

Who  rubs  against  old  kettles  is  smircht,  as  I  am  told, 

As  it  befalls  thee,  younker,  from  me  a  warrior  old. 

Thy  shrift  must  now  be  given  upon  the  heath  so  green, 

I  tell  thee  now  in  earnest,  thou  younker  bold  and 
keen." 

"Of  wolves  thou  just  now  spakest        that  on  the  wold  do 

roam. 

I  am  a  thane  full  noble,  and  Greece  was  once  my  home. 
My  mother  is  Lady  Ute,  a  duchess  proud  and  grand, 
And  my  much  beloved  father  is  the  aged  Hildebrand." 

"  If  thy  mother  is  Lady  Ute,        a  duchess  proud  and  grand, 
Then  I  am  thy  dear  father,        the  aged  Hildebrand." 
He  open'd  his  golden  helmet        and  kist  his  lips  so  red. 

"Now  God  be  thankt  in  heaven        that  neither  of  us  is 
dead." 


THE  HILDEBRANDSLIED  n 

"Ah  father,  dearest  father,        the  wounds  I  gave  to  thee, 

I  would  they  three  times  over        had  fallen  upon  me." 
"Now  say  no  more,  I  pray  thee,        my  sorrows  now  are 

done, 

Since  God  has  brought  together  the  father  and  his 
son." 

It  lasted  from  the  noonday        until  the  vespertide, 
The  while  the  younker  Alebrand        into  the  town  did 

ride. 
What  wore  he  on  his  helmet  ?        A  glittering  wreath  of 

gold. 
Whom  kept  he  ever  by  his  side  ?        His  father  dear  and 

old. 

He  led  him  to  his  mother's  house,  gave  him  the  chosen 
seat. 

This  seem'd  to  the  careful  mother        an  honor  all  un- 
meet. 
"Ah  son,  my  well  beloved,        is  this  an  honor  fit 

That  a  captive  man  should  ever  at  the  head  of  the 
table  sit?" 

"Now  hold  your  peace,  dear  mother,        and  let  me  set 

you  right: 
He  met  me  'mong  the  heather,        and  might  have  slain 

me  quite. 

And  hear  ye,  dearest  mother,        no  captive  shall  he  be. 
It  is  Hildebrand  the  aged,        and  he  is  dear  to  me. 

Come,  mother,  dearest  mother,  and  pay  him  honor 
fine." 

Straightway  she  rose  and  fill'd  his  cup  with  mellow- 
hearted  wine. 

What  glitter'd  on  his  finger  ?        A  ring  of  gold  she  knew. 

This  dropt  he  in  the  goblet        of  his  wife  so  dear  and  true. 


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